Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
By looking at Mu Jingzhe's notebook, Shao Nan also noticed the changes in the five siblings.
In the past, they used to be skinny, dirty, and clad in old clothing. However, during this period, they ate well and got to wear nice clothes. They also didn't have much to worry about. All of them had gained weight and even grown taller.
In the past, Little Bei hadn't been in good health and used to always get sick. After Mu Jingzhe started taking care of them, she never got sick again and she bounced around every day. She also stopped following her brothers and even had a little friend of her own now. In combination with her ruddy complexion, she looked like an entirely different person.
Xiao Wu used to follow them like a shadow. In the past, he had been timid and quiet, but he was much bolder now.
He no longer shrank his body or lowered his head. Instead, he frequently raised his head and looked outside with sparkling eyes at Mu Jingzhe.
He didn't know how to speak yet, but he was slowly relying on Mu Jingzhe and no longer followed his older siblings around.
Xiao Wu was also mischievous. He would scare the chickens, which were getting bigger and bigger. Occasionally, he would imitate Mu Jingzhe and cover their eyes, silently letting them guess who he was. If they guessed correctly, he would let them go.
3
This family had been silently changing because of Mu Jingzhe.
She had never promised them anything, nor had she asked them to call her mother. It was as if she would leave at any time, but all this while, she'd silently supported them.
She protected them from both the wind and rain.
The family lived harmoniously. Every time Young Uncle came back, his eyes would sparkle.
Thanks to the bicycle, he went home increasingly more often. Like them, he couldn't help but gaze at Mu Jingzhe and enjoy her cooking.
Shao Nan felt that he had blended in, but sometimes, he felt like he had been watching coldly from the sidelines.
Shao Nan stopped coldly watching from the sidelines, however, after Mu Jingzhe took them to conduct a small experiment.
He liked nature and miraculous phenomena and he yearned for the scientific experiments that Mu Jingzhe had mentioned.
Mu Jingzhe looked at Shao Nan's shining eyes and felt immense pressure.
He was indeed a genius, a future scientific researcher. One could begin to see the signs even at his young age.
However, given their current financial condition, what she could teach him and give him was limited.
Mu Jingzhe felt that she had to continue working hard when she saw Shao Nan's hungry gaze. Only then could she show Shao Nan more and impart more knowledge to him.
Indeed, taking care of five children was no joke, especially when all five children were outstanding.
She had heard that scientific research was expensive.
Mu Jingzhe felt a headache when she saw Shao Nan, but she felt better when she saw Shao Dong.
1
Fortunately, Shao Dong would earn tons of money in the future and would be able to support his younger siblings so they could do things that they liked.
However, Shao Dong was still too young now, so she had to shoulder this responsibility for now.
She just had to… persist a bit longer.
Mu Jingzhe couldn't stop thinking about earning money.
The production of her accessories had also entered a stable period, and the workers were creating new designs based on the materials she procured. In addition, her four workers were getting increasingly more familiar with the process. Because they had sped up, she didn't hire more people in the end.
There was nothing the villagers could do about it.
Among the four of them, Li Tao was the last to join the team. However, she was the fastest and the one with the deftest hands. Although she was married, her husband wasn't very reliable. Now that she was able to earn some money on her own, she was much more vibrant than before.
She had a biological sister, Li Fang, who also wanted to work there. However, her hands weren't very deft, and she didn't have much talent, so she could only give up.
Still, she was bold enough to come up with a different approach. She came to talk with Mu Jingzhe about the possibility of getting goods from her.
"I'm just going to take some simple, cheap ones and set up a stall at the market to sell them. I've taken a look around. The accessories sold by the stalls in town aren't nearly as pretty or exquisite as yours, and they're not cheap either. I think I'll get good sales if I sell your stuff there."
Li Fang finished speaking without stopping, then looked at Mu Jingzhe nervously.
Mu Jingzhe nodded. "Sure."
She felt that Li Fang was quite bold and resolute.
Some of the accessories she made were high-quality and expensive, while others were simple, cheap designs. Naturally, they could be sold in bulk.
Li Fang took a small batch of goods to try them out.
In the end, just as she had expected, they sold very well.
Hence, she started working furiously and continuously replenished the stock each time she finished selling the ones on hand.
Mu Jingzhe also learned which designs were the bestselling ones based on the stock Li Fang replenished, and she would make adjustments accordingly.
Business was roaring, and Li Fang's success gave others hope.
Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao couldn't help but look for her. She said that she also wanted to take some goods from her to sell them. Furthermore, she shamelessly asked if she could just take the goods from her first, then pay her back after she sold them since they were relatives.
Mu Jingzhe immediately rejected her suggestion.
"No, Li Fang is already selling them nearby. You will have to lower the price for the same design. I won't supply that design to anyone else."
Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao felt that Mu Jingzhe was still unappreciative, even though she had spoken humbly to her. She was furious, and when she recalled what had happened before, she couldn't help but spit.
"Who doesn't know how to do this? You think I care for those hair ornaments of yours? Let me tell you something. I came to look for you because I think highly of you and wanted to give you business. You'll regret it in the future."
After Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao left, Mu Jingzhe asked around and found out that there were people in the village who were looking to make hair ornaments and sell them.
Duplication was the fastest shortcut. Since Mu Jingzhe had succeeded, the most quick-thinking villagers naturally wanted to emulate her success.
Everyone secretly tried it out, and there were indeed some people who succeeded. For example, they could replicate the early designs Mu Jingzhe had made using scraped cloth.
After successfully making the replicas, they felt that it was not much. At that moment, their confidence soared and they also wanted to grab a share of the market to earn money.
At first, it was fine. However, true difficulties surfaced soon.
If they sold the products cheaply on the market, they could sell them but they wouldn't be able to make much money, if any. Those who tried selling them in a big city like Mu Jingzhe didn't have any success either.
Even when someone finally successfully poached one of Mu Jingzhe's workers to help him, it still wasn't enough.
They couldn't find as many good fabrics as Mu Jingzhe. Left with no choice but to substitute them with lousier fabrics, they realized that their end products were nowhere as good as the ones made by Mu Jingzhe.
Li Zhaodi and the children were furious that one of the workers had been poached, but Mu Jingzhe was very calm. The result was just what she had expected.
"Like I said, there's no need to be anxious. They might think it's easy, but they have no idea that there's so much more to it than meets the eye."
Everyone felt that making hair ornaments was simple as long as one knew how to make them. However, they knew nothing about things like design and color combination.
With a lack of solid foundation, they could only imitate the superficial aspects of the products. Plus, they didn't have a keen sensitivity to color either, so how could their products compare to hers?
The same applied to bracelets and necklaces. Mu Jingzhe made it seem easy because she had learned how to do it before.
Although the villagers failed, it still served as a warning for Mu Jingzhe.
Just because the people in the village had failed didn't mean that people elsewhere would also fail. Soon, more products would come in, and the ones she made wouldn't be irreplaceable.
Mu Jingzhe spent some time coming up with a new plan.
"In the future, we'll mainly focus on these few products. Take a look and learn. Before these products enter the market, none of you are to leak any relevant information. You guys have also pressed your thumbprints, so you can't be careless."
The previous lesson inspired Mu Jingzhe to come up with a work contract.
"We know."
Seeing that they all understood, Mu Jingzhe took out the new samples.
The moment they were taken out, they caused a commotion.
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
This time, Mu Jingzhe's designs were completely different than before. A lot of them were butterfly designs, yet they were completely different. Lace fabric was used, and the color combinations were bold, making them quite an enchanting sight.
Among the new samples was also a butterfly hair clip. This time, it was no longer made of cloth but of other materials and small beads. When the wings moved, it seemed as if the butterflies were about to take flight.
Little Bei's eyes lit up. "Auntie, I like it so much. I want one too."
"I kept one for you, but you can't bring it out yet. You'll have to wait until we launch it."
Little Bei nodded obediently despite her reluctance. "Okay."
"I'll make a dragonfly one for you later. Only for you, okay?" Mu Jingzhe felt her heart ache when she saw how sensible the little girl was.
The children were obedient and sensible because no one had indulged them into becoming brats.
After skipping a grade, Shao Dong and Shao Xi performed very well. Although they were the youngest, they were the most knowledgeable. Even the teachers praised them.
That day, Shao Xi said that the new language form teacher had asked to meet Mu Jingzhe at school.
In the past, they used to always look for Zhao Lan whenever something came up. Ever since Mu Jingzhe had come last time, everyone had started looking for her instead and regarding her as their parent.
"What's the matter?"
Mu Jingzhe's first reaction wasn't to ask whether Shao Xi had gotten into trouble again.
His performance in the new class was pretty good.
"I don't know." Shao Xi shook his head. He was quite curious but also a little nervous.
After lunch, Mu Jingzhe went to school.
"The city is publishing a book of full-mark essays written by primary school students. There are essays by students from all levels in it. We were notified that every school teacher can recommend a full-mark essay. Last time, when we submitted Shao Xi's re-examination essay, they said that it was very novel. I want to submit it again and give it a try. Do you consent?"
Mu Jingzhe's eyes lit up. "Of course."
The form teacher was happy to see her being so supportive. "I didn't tell Shao Xi for the time being because I was afraid that he would get his hopes up only to be disappointed. He might not be chosen."
"Let's give it a try. Who knows, there's a chance his essay might get chosen."
It didn't matter if it didn't get chosen the first or second time, for he would definitely be chosen eventually.
Mu Jingzhe was elated to see that this form teacher wasn't like Zhang Fei.
"Alright, let's send it over then. I've already prepared it and pasted a stamp on it. You can go back and send it over."
"Okay."
"Oh right, I have to tell you something. If his essay gets chosen, there will be no royalties, but a few sample books will be sent over."
"I know." Mu Jingzhe understood.
She felt that she could buy some children's weekly newspapers in the future and read more. If there were suitable competitions, she could get Shao Xi to enter them.
This was encouraging for Shao Xi, as it proved his excellence. Besides, he could earn money, so why not?
Mu Jingzhe was about to leave the school happily when she met the principal at the door. The principal was asking someone to carry some things with a broad beam.
He said that the school would have a broadcast in the future. From now on, they could hold the flag-raising ceremony every Monday and do radio calisthenics1 every day.
While Shao Xi's submission had to wait, Little Bei asked Mu Jingzhe something awkwardly before sleeping.
"Auntie, the principal says our school will have radio broadcasts now. All the schools out there have students as radio announcers, so he wants us to sign up too. I—I—"
"Do you want to give it a try?" Mu Jingzhe asked.
Little Bei nudged Mu Jingzhe and whispered, "Can I? My Mandarin… I've only learned it from my teacher and you, Auntie, as well as the tape recorder."
Little Bei had a classmate who had a tape recorder at home. Her classmates loved it, and Little Bei had gone to that classmate's home to listen to it before.
A tape recorder was a rare and expensive item that was only purchased when a couple got married. Playing tapes and listening to music was considered rare entertainment.
Apart from song tapes, there were also some movie tapes.
People living in the countryside didn't have the means to watch a movie, so they just listened to tapes. Everyone listened to movie tapes with relish, playing them so many times that they could even remember the lines sometimes.
This was rare entertainment in the village, and Little Bei loved listening to those tapes. She'd even learned how to speak like the people in the tapes and could do an excellent impression of it.
Little Bei wasn't confident, but Mu Jingzhe encouraged her to try.
Although she wasn't sure if Little Bei would walk down the path of acting in the future, it was always good to give it a try. It would make her more versatile if she really walked down the path of acting in the future.
In the book, Little Bei had excellent acting skills, and her only weakness was that the way she read her lines was lackluster. This was because she had been deaf for a significant period of time and she had not had a Mandarin foundation from a young age. She only managed to overcome those weaknesses after a lot of hard work.
This time, she hoped that Little Bei wouldn't have to suffer so much.
With Mu Jingzhe's encouragement, Little Bei bravely signed up.
Five students signed up in total. The other four were all fifth-grade and sixth-grade students, so Little Bei was the youngest.
However, the one who performed the best was Little Bei. She was still a tad shy, but she was also the most daring and least nervous child.
Just like that, Little Bei became a little radio announcer.
Her voice echoed throughout the school and over the sky of the Great Eastern Village. It was only a simple notice at first, but it was enough to make anyone proud.
Mu Jingzhe gifted her a radio during her first broadcast.
With a radio, she could listen to programs and news broadcasts. Also, it would help her learn Mandarin.
At the time, radio programs were very popular. There were all sorts of programs, including children's programs, so this was quite suitable for Little Bei.
Because she was poor and could not afford a new radio, she could only think of ways to buy a pre-loved one.
1
"Little Bei, you can use this for now. Auntie will replace it with a new one in the future."
Mu Jingzhe was afraid that Little Bei would be unhappy, but Little Bei treasured it dearly.
"No need for that. Thank you, Auntie. I like it. You don't have to buy me a new one."
The addition of the radio made the house even livelier. Every day, Little Bei would listen to the radio and do impressions of the voices she heard.
In the past, they used to basically sleep after dark. Now, after dinner, they had a new form of entertainment and would gather together to listen to the radio.
It was always good to hear more and broaden one's horizons. Also, through the radio, one could hear a lot of news from the outside world. Mu Jingzhe really needed it.
She missed modern phones and the internet too much.
When Shao Qiyang was at home, he would also join them. Inevitably, he had to face Little Bei's countless questions.
There were many things on the radio that children found unfamiliar. Initially, Little Bei was the only one who asked Mu Jingzhe when there was something she didn't understand. If Mu Jingzhe didn't understand something, she would just say that she didn't really know, which was true. If she knew the answer, she would explain it to her.
As she explained more, the children became more and more fascinated by the stories and anecdotes. Later on, Shao Xi and Shao Nan started asking questions as well, and even Shao Dong would occasionally pose questions.
While tuning in to the children's channel, they heard that a few stories had been submitted by the audience. Later on, it was announced over the radio that everyone was welcome to submit their manuscript. Mu Jingzhe and Shao Xi discussed it for a while before deciding to submit an article that they felt was suitable to the address mentioned.
In the midst of this busy time, an old man in the village passed away. He was over 80 years old and had enjoyed both good fortune and longevity, as well as a prosperous family life.
Since a person from the village had passed away, his relatives would all go to his funeral. Even Shao Qiyang did not go to work. He was preparing to carry the coffin on the day of the funeral.
When Mu Jingzhe and Shao Qiyang brought a bunch of radishes over, they bumped into Mu Xue and Tang Moling.
Upon seeing them, Mu Jingzhe quickly asked Li Zhaodi, "Mom, did the Tang Family come to propose marriage? When are they getting engaged?"
According to the storyline in the novel, the Tang Family was supposed to propose marriage very soon.
Unexpectedly, Li Zhaodi shook her head. "I haven't heard anything."
Huh?
He had yet to propose marriage? Strange.
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In the original novel, after dealing with the annoying Mu Jingzhe and Li Zhaodi, Tang Moling had quickly come to propose marriage. Their relationship had progressed quickly and steadily.
1
Why hadn't he proposed marriage yet?
Mu Jingzhe glanced at the male and female protagonists.
She didn't notice anything amiss, but Tang Moling caught her gaze.
Tang Moling looked at her with a strange expression that seemed to be filled with rage. Mu Jingzhe quickly looked away.
Forget it. The relationship between the male and female lead was none of her business.
Right now, she was focused on earning money to take care of the children, so she wasn't creating any trouble for Mu Xue. Even Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng were busy selling buns and didn't have time to become a nuisance. Without their hindrance, their relationship would only be smoother.
5
Mu Jingzhe immediately turned her attention back and went to help where needed.
The children had been warned by her not to run around.
Mu Jingzhe was soon surrounded by several people. Now that her reputation had been restored, everyone was willing to interact with her.
Xiao Wu had been following her obediently, but when Mu Jingzhe finished washing the potatoes, Xiao Wu disappeared.
In the end, she saw Xiao Wu with the old trumpeter.
The trumpet was an instrument that was played at every wedding ceremony and funeral in the village. The villagers had invited the trumpeter, and Xiao Wu was immediately attracted by the melody the trumpet produced.
Not minding the noise, he squatted in front of the old man, watching him with sparkling eyes.
"Xiao Wu loves to hear the trumpet. Whenever we have an event in the village and the trumpet is played, Xiao Wu will definitely be there."
Seeing Mu Jingzhe's nervousness, Shao Qiyang rubbed his nose and explained.
Xiao Wu looked at Mu Jingzhe and smiled, but he remained squatted, not moving an inch.
Mu Jingzhe remembered that in the novel, Xiao Wu was a world-renowned top-notch musician. She nodded and said, "Remember to tell me where you are going next time. I got a shock when I did not know where you were."
When Xiao Wu heard that Mu Jingzhe was frightened, he stood up and patted her to comfort her.
If Xiao Wu wanted to listen to the trumpet, Mu Jingzhe would let him and only glance at him from time to time.
She was paying attention to Xiao Wu and did not realize that she was being watched.
When Shao Qiyang met Mu Xue again, he felt a tad awful. However, later, his attention was attracted by Xiao Wu and Mu Jingzhe, and he would only pay attention to her from time to time.
Tang Moling had been watching Mu Xue register the gifts and speak now and then, but Mu Xue realized that Tang Moling's attention had been drawn to Mu Jingzhe some time ago.
He kept glancing at her.
The smile on Mu Xue's face became fainter and fainter. After she finished eating and greeted the villagers, she turned around and left.
It finally occurred to Tang Moling that she was unhappy. "What's wrong? Who made you unhappy again?"
"Why are you following me? If you want to find Mu Jingzhe, then go."
"Mu Jingzhe? Why would you mention her?"
"Haven't you been looking at her the entire time?" Shao Qiyang was also paying attention to Mu Jingzhe.
Tang Moling felt wronged. "Didn't you see that I was glaring at her? The last time she hit me, I glared at her after I was done scolding her."
1
These words failed to appease Mu Xue. After a moment of silence, she suddenly said, "It's been so long. Why are you paying so much attention to her?"
This was what made her feel uneasy and unhappy.
Tang Moling was stunned for a moment. "I wasn't paying attention to her. I was just glaring at her."
"That's a form of attention too. Tang Moling, if you care so much about her, don't come looking for me again."
Mu Xue bit her lip. "Second Aunt asked me about you before. I think she's very satisfied with you. They didn't even agree when the county driver came to propose marriage. They must be waiting for you…"
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting, Mu Xue? What is this gibberish?"
Mu Xue stared at him stubbornly. "I don't want to have anything snatched away from me again. I might as well not have it in the first place instead. You can leave."
"Don't be ridiculous."
Tang Moling reflected on himself. It seemed like he had indeed been paying too much attention to Mu Jingzhe.
In combination with Mu Xue's words, he suddenly realized that Mu Jingzhe had purposely said those words to attract his attention!
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He had experienced these tricks before.
3
'Ha! I almost fell for it.'
"Don't worry, Xiao Xue. I won't pay attention to her ever again. Even if she dies in front of me, I won't look at her twice."
Tang Moling assured both Mu Xue and himself.
Elsewhere, Mu Jingzhe was making promises to Xiao Wu, alternating between intimidation and bribery.
"Xiao Wu, try saying it. I'll only know if you speak up. As long as you say it, I'll promise, alright?"
Seeing that the trumpeter was about to leave, Xiao Wu had followed him in confusion. When he'd seen Mu Jingzhe, he had taken her hand and pointed at the trumpeter anxiously.
Mu Jingzhe had guessed that Xiao Wu wanted to listen more and even learn, but she pretended not to know and coaxed him into speaking.
Xiao Wu started gesturing frantically but didn't say anything.
Mu Jingzhe said regretfully, "If you don't tell me, I won't know what you mean."
Xiao Wu watched as the trumpeter walked further and further away. His eyes were red, and he looked like he was about to cry.
He was usually obedient, quiet, and adorable, and he wouldn't cry easily. Such an obedient child had to be very upset to be on the verge of tears.
However, Mu Jingzhe bit her lip and resisted the urge to soften her heart.
Previously, she had teased Xiao Wu a lot to make him speak, but in the end, her heart would always soften against her will. Therefore, she ultimately couldn't force him to speak.
She knew very well that Xiao Wu really liked this, so she had to harden her heart and force him to speak.
Maybe he felt terrible right now, but this would benefit him.
"We're going back if you don't speak up."
When Mu Jingzhe saw that Xiao Wu still wouldn't speak, she couldn't help but feel disappointed and upset. She even suspected that she hadn't done the right thing.
It had been more than two months, and she had taught him so much, yet he still refused to speak.
It wouldn't be good if this continued. The later he spoke, the worse it would be. In the end, he might end up like he had in his previous life and never have the chance to speak.
Xiao Wu was initially depressed, but he then realized that Mu Jingzhe was in low spirits and looked as if she was feeling awful.
He knew how hard Mu Jingzhe had worked during this period. Seeing her like this made Xiao Wu even more upset.
He wanted to comfort Mu Jingzhe, that it was his fault, not hers.
In his panic, he opened his mouth and silently moved it a few times before finally making a soft sound.
"Don't."
It was just two words, but it seemed to have taken him a lot of effort. Beads of perspiration had formed on his forehead.
2
Mu Jingzhe thought that she had heard wrong and quickly squatted down to look at him.
"Don't be sad."
Under Mu Jingzhe's delighted gaze, Xiao Wu finally said a complete sentence to express what he wanted to say.
He even imitated how Mu Jingzhe used to comfort him and patted her shoulder. "I said, don't be sad."
Because he had never spoken before, his voice was actually unpleasant.
But Xiao Wu had spoken.
He had spoken.
Mu Jingzhe, who was overjoyed, picked Xiao Wu up.
"Xiao Wu, you've spoken. That's awesome."
Seeing that Mu Jingzhe was happy, Xiao Wu finally relaxed. "Speak."
"I keep my promises. Xiao Wu, tell me what you want. I'll agree to anything you say."
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "Learn."
He made a gesture of blowing a trumpet and emphasized learning again.
"So Xiao Wu likes the trumpet and wants to learn how to play it."
Xiao Wu nodded vigorously. "Mm."
"Alright, go learn then." Mu Jingzhe had to keep her word.
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Everyone was glad that Xiao Wu could finally speak. Little Bei exclaimed, "So Xiao Wu is really not mute!"
After saying that, she started to teach Xiao Wu to call her 'Sister'. Shao Xi joined in and asked Xiao Wu to call him 'Brother'. The duo started quarreling over whether Xiao Wu should say 'Brother' or 'Sister' first.
In the end, even Shao Dong, who rarely spoke, opened his mouth to teach Xiao Wu to call him 'Brother'.
Shao Dong felt a little guilty that Xiao Wu was only learning how to speak now. In the past, he had been afraid that his stutter would be passed on to Xiao Wu, so he'd rarely taught him to speak. If he had thought of a way earlier, Xiao Wu might have started speaking long ago.
With this thought in mind, Shao Dong simply taught Xiao Wu to call him 'Brother', but in the end, he still stuttered.
Shao Dong's expression froze. A second later, though, Xiao Wu called him 'Brother' loudly.
Little Bei stomped her feet in dissatisfaction, but Xiao Wu smiled at Shao Dong and greeted him again. "Big Brother."
He liked Big Brother the most.
Xiao Wu then obediently called Little Bei 'Sister', successfully coaxing her.
In the end, Shao Qiyang couldn't help but join in and ask Xiao Wu to call him 'Uncle'.
Instead of doing that, Xiao Wu went on to address Mu Jingzhe first.
He didn't say 'Auntie'. He only managed to utter one syllable: Aunt.
At first, they thought it was an interjection.
Shao Qiyang was the last to be greeted, but he was very satisfied nonetheless.
In the middle of the night, Shao Qiyang could not help going to his older brother's tombstone to have a chat with him.
"Second Brother, you can leave with peace of mind. Now that Xiao Wu can speak, he's no longer mute. The days ahead will get better and better. I'll take good care of them."
He did not specify which of them were included.
Since Xiao Wu had spoken, Mu Jingzhe kept her word. The next day, she took some eggs to the trumpeter's house and asked him to teach Xiao Wu.
Seeing that she was sincere and Xiao Wu was likable, the teacher agreed readily.
Two days later, Mu Jingzhe would pick up Xiao Wu again. Although he was still young, he could already replicate the trumpeter's songs and even create new ones.
At the sight of Mu Jingzhe, Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. He immediately showed her what he had learned, blowing the trumpet while facing her.
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
She seemed to have heard the words 'off you go'.
She gazed at Xiao Wu, who seemed to know his way around playing the trumpet, and suddenly remembered that Xiao Wu was a musician who played the piano, cello, and violin according to the book. He was known as the Prince of Music.
Right now… the Prince of Music or whatever didn't exist yet. He was just a gleeful trumpet kid.
He merrily played a funeral song on the trumpet for her.
7
Was he sending her off?
2
Mu Jingzhe was in a daze. She suddenly wondered how his fans would react when they found out that the first instrument the Prince of Music had learned was the trumpet.
It wasn't like trumpets were bad, but most people were under the impression that this musical instrument had a very special use.
1
Even though these random thoughts were running through Mu Jingzhe's mind, on the surface, she clapped her hands and praised Xiao Wu for learning well. She then couldn't help but stroke Xiao Wu's head.
This had become her favorite thing to do recently. Xiao Wu's hair was curly and soft, so it felt very good to the touch and had a therapeutic effect. Mu Jingzhe took advantage of this opportunity to stroke his head while she had the chance.
Xiao Wu didn't hate it either. He let her touch his head and said with a red face, "Aunt, I also want to learn how to play the flute."
Thanks to Mu Jingzhe's encouragement, Xiao Wu mustered up the courage to speak.
The bamboo flute was also one of the instruments available in the village. The reason was that the villagers could make them on their own, and the cost was low.
There was also a bamboo flute player in the village.
Mu Jingzhe nodded in surprise. "Alright, go ahead and learn it."
Xiao Wu immediately went to learn the flute and then said that he wanted to learn the erhu.
The erhu… was also a common musical instrument among common folks. There was only one erhu in the village.
Mu Jingzhe nodded again.
Xiao Wu was very enthusiastic, and even a leaf became his instrument.
It was just a small leaf, but he could produce a beautiful melody by using it. It wasn't a tune that everyone had heard before, but something he'd casually played.
Everyone in the village liked to listen to it, for it made them feel happy and comfortable.
Just like that, Xiao Wu learned all the musical instruments available in the village.
Mu Jingzhe occasionally felt that this development was a little strange. However, she convinced herself that music was interlinked. Who said that the piano, the cello, and the guitar were the most elegant instruments? The trumpet and the erhu were also invincible. There was nothing wrong with learning these traditional musical instruments that had been passed down for generations.
She could always let Xiao Wu learn how to play the piano, violin, and cello in the future.
There was no harm in being armed with more skills.
1
Before the first day of June, Mu Jingzhe met Little Bei's new form teacher, who asked her opinion on allowing Little Bei to participate in a competition.
It was only then that Mu Jingzhe found out that the town had informed every school that they could apply to participate on the 1st of June1 show. The participants would first compete in their town, and then the first-place winner would be chosen to participate in the cultural performance of the county.
The school had wanted to organize a big choir, but none of them had learned about it early, so it had turned out to be a mess. Plus, they didn't have uniforms, and most families didn't have the money to make new clothes either. Thus, they'd given up on the idea.
Later on, since that hadn't worked out, they decided to have Little Bei represent the school and recite a poem. The important thing was to participate, so they asked her to discuss it with her parents.
However, Little Bei had never told Mu Jingzhe about this.
The reason Little Bei had not said anything was because she felt that she could not win the competition by reciting a poem. If she wanted to compete, she might have to buy new clothes and shoes. Thinking it would be expensive, she did not want to go.
Mu Jingzhe felt very helpless. How should she put it? It was not okay for children to not have a concept of money, but if they had too strong a concept of money at such a young age and were constantly thinking of saving money, it would make an adult's heart ache for them.
"Isn't it just a new dress? It's very simple. You know that I know how to make one. It's not expensive at all, so go ahead and participate. It doesn't matter if you don't win. The important thing is to participate."
Participating in competitions could boost one's courage and increase one's knowledge. Why not?
Little Bei actually did wish to go, so her eyes lit up when she heard that. "Then… Then I'll participate?"
"Of course you can."
"But I think simply reciting poetry is kind of dull."
"Then what do you want to do?"
"I want to do something interesting."
In the end, Little Bei signed up for it. However, she did not recite a poem. Instead, she created her own performance by doing impressions.
Shao Nan wrote a cute story for his younger sister. Xiao Wu, the only person who did not have to go to school, acted alongside his older sister. Mu Jingzhe also provided her with the greatest support.
1
Before Children's Day, Little Bei represented the school at the competition. In the end, she clinched first place with her innovative work, which allowed her to represent the town at the county competition.
When they arrived at the county, they found out that the cultural performance this time was quite important. Even people from the city came. They heard that students who showed potential could get a chance to study in a specialized art school.
The art school was under the radio station. There were children's music, calligraphy, art, and dancing classes, and so on. There were even acting and hosting classes. They specialized in training child actors, young show hosts, and little dancers.
The school had a collaboration with the radio station. When they needed young talent for programs, galas, and even other festivals, the radio station would contact the art school.
The higher-ups were planning to open a school in the county to groom potential talent. Those who performed well in the joint performance could enroll in the school.
When Mu Jingzhe heard about this, she was very surprised. This was not the modern era, when there were all sorts of art schools for one to choose from. In this time and age, it was difficult to study the arts, so this was a perfect opportunity for Little Bei.
The performance started at night, and a rehearsal was held during the day so the participants could familiarize themselves with the routine. Mu Jingzhe had been watching without resting, and she only had time to go to the toilet after she took Little Bei and Xiao Wu to the resting lounge.
She had planned on buying food originally. However, she was attacked the moment she emerged from the bathroom.
Mu Jingzhe had never thought that someone would attack her in public. When she finally reacted, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck before blacking out.
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ji Buwang had been unconscious for four years and had only woken up a few days ago.
1
Four years had passed, and everything was different. After a period of recovery, these days he would walk around and take a breather.
The news of him waking up was not publicized. Anyway, those who visited him personally would know. It was fine if everyone did not know, for they would find out eventually.
After staying in his hometown for two days, he passed by and saw a cultural performance. He remembered hearing that his niece would be performing at this event and decided to come and take a look since he was bored.
Apart from cute little kids, he had not expected to see a pervert entering the ladies' room.
He had heard of peeping toms in ladies' toilets, but this was the first time he had seen a man enter the ladies' toilets in such a brazen manner.
2
It was with heaven's blessings that he had managed to wake up, so he had to be a good person and do good deeds to repay that. He naturally couldn't ignore such a thing now that he had come across it.
Ji Buwang went forward without any hesitation and knocked that person out.
'I almost didn't succeed. I still have to train and recover my strength.'
Ji Gou gazed at the pervert lying on the ground and wanted to call for help. However, there was no one around, so he decided to drag her to the side so she would not get in the way.
2
When he bent down and tried to drag the person by the armpits, Ji Buwang felt that something was amiss. Why was it so soft? What was this sensation?
Ji Buwang couldn't help but squeeze.
This sudden attack had made Mu Jingzhe faint before she could react.
Eventually, the pain woke her up.
As soon as she woke up, Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but swear.
'Damn it, I actually met a pervert!'
And he had been so eager to start.
2
Mu Jingzhe was furious.
Her flat chest had been through too many hardships. Previously, she had been hit by a rock, and now, she had been subjected to this. It just so happened that right now, she was also in pain because she was on her period.
As the owner of those boobs, she had to avenge herself! She had to teach this pervert a lesson!
1
Amidst the sparks, Mu Jingzhe grabbed that evil hand and threw a punch.
The gangster fainted.
Mu Jingzhe touched the back of her neck, which was still in pain, and called for security to tie him up.
To think a crook had actually sneaked into the cultural performance! It would be terrible if this guy went on to harm or even abduct little kids.
She had to get to the bottom of this. Otherwise, she would take him to the police station.
In order to prevent him from hurting anyone, she tied his hands up before pinching his philtrum1.
In TV shows, people were woken up by getting drenched with a bucket of water. In reality, it was more convenient to pinch them by their philtrum, as it evoked a quicker response.
Ji Buwang quickly woke up. When he saw the scene, his first reaction was to think that he had been kidnapped.
"What do you people want?"
"We haven't asked you what you're doing," the security guard said righteously. "Tell us honestly what you've done."
"Other than good deeds, what else could I have done?" Upon seeing Mu Jingzhe beside him, he was furious. "How dare you capture me instead of that pervert?"
The two security guards and Mu Jingzhe looked at each other. "We are arresting a pervert. You."
They despised people who molested women.
The two security guards looked at him in disdain.
Ji Buwang: "Who's the pervert?"
When he saw the hand that was pointing at him, Ji Buwang sneered.
A pervert? Him?
He laughed in anger and accused Mu Jingzhe of trickery. "You're a thief crying out to stop another thief! He's the pervert! I saw him enter the ladies' room with my own eyes!"
Mu Jingzhe: "If I don't enter the ladies' room, where should I go? Brother, are you short-sighted?"
Wasn't this too much? Her hair was just a tad short!
2
Although she wasn't wearing a skirt, she wasn't wearing a male outfit either. Even if she was a little flat, she still had feminine curves…
Mu Jingzhe lowered her head to look at herself. Alright, it wasn't very obvious. But anyone with eyes could tell that she was a woman, right?
Why did she have to suffer such an unexpected calamity?
Mu Jingzhe stared at the man suspiciously.
He looked like a decent human being, but why was there something wrong with his eyes and brain? Or was he pretending?
Ji Buwang was completely dumbfounded. "Why… Why is your voice so feminine?"
Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Because I'm a woman to begin with. Brother, if you're short-sighted, you ought to get yourself a pair of glasses. I just have shorter hair."
"That's right. If you look closely, you'll be able to tell she's a lady." The security guard agreed.
Ji Buwang: "???"
To think this was actually a girl. Then what he had touched previously was…
Ji Buwang was shocked.
What had he done?
Ji Buwang was in a state of shock. Heat emanated from his hand toward his entire body, making him feel boiling hot. Besides, his mind insisted on recalling that sensation against his will.
Ji Buwang pushed these thoughts away with all his might and cursed himself for being a hooligan.
"S-Sorry."
Ji Buwang's face turned red as he apologized. "My eyesight is bad, so I misunderstood. I'm sorry…"
He no longer dared to look at Mu Jingzhe.
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
So the reason she had been knocked out and subjected to that treatment was because he had bad eyesight and she had short hair?
The pain in Mu Jingzhe's chest was still there, but she couldn't go forward and take revenge.
There was nothing to pinch anyway. Her chest looked really flat.
Mu Jingzhe awkwardly retracted her gaze. "So you didn't do it on purpose?"
"Of course not."
Although Mu Jingzhe was speechless, she did not insist on sending him to the police station after the misunderstanding was cleared up.
The freed Ji Buwang stood in front of her, no longer looking as pathetic as before. He looked sincere and convincing.
He was thin and he was wearing a white shirt paired with a suit and suspenders. He looked clean and neat, and he had a hint of a cultured and elegant yet ruffian-ish air. He gave off the vibe of a senior at school during the 1920s.
His facial features were exquisite. With a combination of the look of a man and a woman, he looked both very handsome and pretty. Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but think of a modern male celebrity.
His skin was very fair, and his hair was curly and longer than Mu Jingzhe's.
This was the first time Mu Jingzhe had seen such hair in real life. There were many people with naturally curly hair, but this color was slightly yellow, and his hair curled as if it had been specially styled. This hairstyle gave off a modern sense of fashion, as if it was from the modern era.
3
It might not stand out so much in the modern age, when plenty of fashionable people walked in the streets, but in this day and age, it was extremely eye-catching. It was the sort of thing that caught people's attention at first glance.
If it hadn't been for the previous incident, Mu Jingzhe would probably have felt very close to him.
Okay, now he looked a little familiar too.
First of all, his hair resembled Xiao Wu's hair. Secondly, it had a modern vibe.
2
However, Mu Jingzhe knew that this person was truly from this era. Just look at how he'd treated her like a man just because of her short hair.
"I hope you could look more closely next time. In the future, more and more girls will have short hair, and there will also be boys with long hair. Don't assume that a person with short hair must be a man and someone with long hair must be a woman. This kind of distinction is too narrow-minded."
Ji Buwang: "Yes, I'll be more careful."
Though he agreed, he felt bitter in his heart. Guys had long hair, while this girl had short hair. What was he to do?
"I'm leaving first. Remember to go get a pair of glasses." Mu Jingzhe reminded him when she saw his good attitude.
Ji Buwang smiled bitterly. If only a pair of glasses could remedy this.
His eyes weren't something glasses could save.
1
After smiling bitterly, he suddenly realized that he had not asked for her name.
"Wait, I forgot to ask for your name. My name is Ji Buwang. Let's get to know each other."
Ji Buwang chased after her.
"My name is Mu Jingzhe. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll leave now. We'll talk again when we have the chance. Goodbye." Mu Jingzhe, who was eager to go back to Little Bei, waved her hand and then left directly.
She didn't think they would meet again.
"Aye…"
Ji Buwang watched Mu Jingzhe walk away, wanting to say something, but stopped himself.
He still had something to say.
Although this was not ancient times, his actions had taken away the girl's innocence.
But since he had done that sort of thing, should he… take responsibility for what he had done?
Or compensate her?